Takashi
by Stripedwind of MysticClan
Summary: The story of Takashi. Follow the adventures of the young eevee, and after evolution, espeon, as he meets new friends in and outside of the Kanto region. See what goes on in the world of pokemon!
1. Prologue

**Guess no one knew I liked pokémon huh? Heh :D **

**I plan to make the future chapters loosened up. This one's more serious since it's 3****rd**** person view and not the view of a young eevee.**

**I will be putting up the character's Japanese names next chapter except for volttheo and kyler, which aren't Japanese.**

**Since pokemon is created in japan I gave the characters Japanese names. Well most of them.**

Prologue

The sun was setting. Three dark shapes slipped out of the shadows. One was a slim vaporeon, one was a small eevee, and the other was a jolteon. The vaporeon's tail was curled up, holding an egg and serving as an extra paw.

"Where are we going?" huffed the jolteon, struggling to catch up with the blue pokemon that ran like the wind.

She glanced back. "The Viridian forest, Voltheo." More kindly, she added, "Okay, I'll slow down. After all, you were a Nopelt's monster once."

Voltheo gently cuffed her ear. He had to admit the water pokemon was right. He stared back at his Nopelt's fence. Not mine- he's not my Nopelt anymore, he told himself.

Down by his legs, the eevee began to wail aloud. "Dad, how much longer? My feet feel like a pile of bonemerangs!"

Voltheo licked the brown pokemon's fox-like ears. "Rei?"

The water pokemon's eyes glinted. "Soon, Kyler."

Volttheo looked back at the Nopelt's house he had left. Kyler, his son, had lived in that house too. The plucky young Nopelt had named both of them, and leaving him felt as if the great lord Mewtwo had been stuck down overnight. Lord Mewtwo had ruled the world for seasons now, and no one had ever successfully captured the mysterious poke-lord, for he could withstand even the strongest apricornball.

Voltheo missed his familiar apricornball and his comfortable bed. On the other hand, he remembered what it felt like in the wild, and the early frustration of being cooped up in a red apricornball that his former Nopelt had used to catch him.

When Kyler had hatched, Voltheo had brought his son to his Nopelt for a name. The Nopelt had assumed Kyler was his friend back then.

The jolteon shook his head. Who cared about the past? He was with his mate now. Soon, he would have another eevee.

As if on cue, the egg started shaking. "Looks like it's hatching," gasped Rei, setting the egg down carefully on the grass.

"It's gonna explode!" wailed Kyler.

The egg kept shaking, its shell breaking slowly to reveal…

"It's a boy," said Rei in a hushed voice.

The newborn eevee shook its ears and peered up at his parents and brother with round eyes. He was the picture of innocence.

"Look, Kyler," said Voltheo, nosing the eevee towards his older brother, "it's your new baby brother."

"His name is Takashi," added Rei.

Kyler stared at Takashi, his eyes emotionless. Somehow he hadn't realized that the egg would contain his new sibling. Looking at his brown kin, he couldn't help but feel some sort of impending doom.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi guys, im accepting ideas for my next chapters. I'm not sure what to write about an eeveehood. (childhood of an eevee) Tell me in the reviews! **

**The chapters will be mostly be in takashi's pov. I say MOSTLY because I'm not doing the 'I did this' or 'I did that' kinda stuff.**

**Oh, and Kyler evolved along the way. Spoiler :P**

**Lalalalalala… random chapter.**

**Chapter 1**

In the middle of the Viridian forest lay a hidden den in the tall grass. Coming from the den was a LOT of racket.

"Takashi! Movvit!" screamed an umbreon.

"But there's no space for me to move, bro!" wailed Takashi.

"Be nice to your brother! He was just born days ago!" snapped Rei.

"Oh. The weedle moved off. Now I think I can move one pawstep forward…" Takashi began.

"AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The umbreon tipped his head back and yowled to the dark sky.

"Kyler! If I hear one more noise from you, I'll personally kick you out of the den myself!" Voltheo yowled at his son.

"Dad, 'myself' and 'personally' means the same thing," retorted Kyler as he stalked out of the den.

The jolteon looked confused. "Really?" asked Voltheo. **(I don't think so.)**

Takashi wondered why his brother didn't like him much. Surely brothers were meant to love one another? Maybe his brother just wasn't sleeping enough and got crabby because of it.

"Kyler!" the eevee called out into the darkness. "Where are you?"

Darkness ignored Takashi.

"Looks like he'll be out for a while," sighed Rei as she curled up in a comfortable spot in their den. Random pokemon had found their way in as well. Some bug pokemon were lying on top of each other and a pidgeotto sat down in the middle of the den.

"We shouldn't have built this den in tall grass," grumbled Voltheo as he moved to lie down beside Rei. His usually prickly fur now lay flat, so as not to damage the water pokemon.

"Mom! Dad!" squeaked Takashi. "Tell me the story of the Starpelts and Starfeathers again."

Voltheo didn't budge, and Takashi knew he was asleep. However, Rei raised her head wearily and started to speak. As she told the story to Takashi again, the other pokemon crowded around to hear it.

"A long, long time ago, there was only a mew. He could transform into any pokemon that we have now. But he didn't like it. He was all alone. With astonishing power, the mew created all pokemon, as well as a female mew to be his mate. But then, the mew got worried. Where would his creations go after they died?"

Rei paused to take a breath, and all the pokemon surrounding her leaned in closer.

"The mew then made a place in the stars. A place for dead pokemon who wouldn't think twice about doing good. Spirits who did good when they were alive go to that place after death. Those spirits are known as Starpelts or Starfeathers. Starfeathers refer to the spirits of bird pokemon and the rest of the spirits are known as Starpelts, even those who don't have any pelts. However, the mew also created another place in the sky, but away from the stars…"

Rei's voice began to falter and Takashi knew she was tired. The pidgeotto gently prodded Rei with a wing and she raised her head again. "That was a place meant for pokemon with cold hearts, who know nothing but destruction and slaughter. The spirits of evil pokemon go there to suffer after death. Those spirits are known as Shadowpelts or Shadowfeathers. Shadowfeathers are the bird spirits and Shadowpelts are the rest. You know the drill. Thankfully, not many spirits go to that horrid place."

"I hope I get to be a Starpelt when I grow up," said a caterpie. "Even though I don't have a pelt."

"That's the end of the story," Rei told the listening pokemon. "Now let me go to sleep."

Rei lay her head down again and closed her eyes, curling her long blue tail around her body. The rest of the pokemon began to find a place to sleep in the den, save for the pidgeotto, who flew out of the den to perch on the top and roost.

Takashi couldn't help wondering if Kyler would become a Shadowpelt when he died. The black pokemon always seemed cold and unfriendly to Takashi. He didn't even know why his brother was angry at him.

What had he done?

**Ok this was just a chapter to explain what the pokemon believe. I think arceus existed before mew.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry guys! I've had tons of work to do in school. Not getting much time on the computer. My next big test is on 10/5/13. Hopefully I'll have done some chapters before then.**

**I've finally stopped being lazy and found out the japanese names of Rei and Takashi. You can always copy and paste the Japanese words to check.**

**Rei: ****レイ**

**Takashi: ****タカ市 ****or ****たかし**

**This chapter will mostly be in the view of Kyler. Since Kyler is older and therefore has more common sense, he notices more things than Takashi and so more descriptions are in this chapter.**

A cold wind blew over the Viridian Forest, shaking the trees and causing pinecos to drop out of them. Of course, they were unhappy at this, but being green pinecones they had to keep it to themselves.

A single lone pokemon stalked through the undergrowth. Back towards his home. Back towards his parents who he loved and respected. Back towards that demon of a little brother.

Reaching the den, he paused and stared at the top of the den. A pidgeotto was perched there watching his every move.

Trying not to let the pidgeotto's sharp eyes bother him, the pokemon strode into the wooden den. Looking around, he made sure that the pokemon he wanted was present.

Aha. So he was.

With a faint light emitted from his golden rings, the umbreon slipped next to his slumbering brother and whispered, "Takashi. Get up. I have a place to show you," he crooned.

The brown pokemon blinked. He stood up, shaking moss off his pelt and cream-coloured collar of fur. "Kyler? Where are we going?"

The eevee was instantly awake, eyes sparkling with excitement. Foolish boy, Kyler thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "I know a place where we can have fun alone. As brothers."

Leading the way, Kyler padded out of the den on light paws. Takashi followed with a bounce in his paws.

It was a dark, moonless night. The white ball of light had completely vanished, to be replaced with a few thin wisps of white cloud where it used to be.

With only the light of his own glowing rings, Kyler slid through the forest. Takashi followed more carefully now, as if he was scared Rei and Voltheo would find them and take them both back to their den.

"Can you wait for me?" puffed Takashi, the distance between him and Kyler growing longer by the minute.

"Just a little further," called the umbreon from up ahead. "Tell you what," he added "Since it's so near, I'll carry you the rest of the way."

The eevee squealed as Kyler's teeth met in the furry collar. The umbreon smirked, unknown to his passenger. How he would have liked to sink his teeth all the way in, to taste his brother's flowing blood and knowing that was what had killed him off. If only he could have done that.

But no. His parents were bound to ask in the morning.

Kyler made his way through the forest, setting the bundle of fur down beside a hard, coal black surface. "This is the fun place, Takashi," Kyler hissed.

Oblivious to his brother's tone, Takashi looked around. "But Kyler," he complained, "There's no pokemon to play with? Why is it fun?"

"I'll leave you to find out," Kyler promised. A dark gleam had entered his eye.

Suddenly, Kyler pushed the eevee onto the hard black surface, into the light of an incoming car.

**I promise I will tell you why Kyler is so evil. In the next chapter, or the last? Tell me in the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 3

** Chapter 2 I meant you could use google translate. Then you can click that sound icon at the bottom of the Japanese words to hear the sound.**

**Absolmaster2012:Here's the new chapter you were waiting for. And someone did save Takashi. **

**Back to Takashi's pov. And I think I'll reveal why Kyler is being so evil.**

"Takashi!"

Suddenly, a blinding flash of yellow fur lifted Takashi and dragged him to safety. The eevee felt his savior letting him down.

Takashi stared at Kyler, whose eyes were wide with shock and jaws open. "Dad?"

Takashi's father snarled at Kyler, revealing sharp, pointy teeth. "Son, you and I are going to have a long talk about this in the den."

The car had sped past now, with only the faint screeches of its tires giving away that it had been here at all. Takashi wondered if the Nopelt driving it had even noticed the three pokemon.

A bush rustled behind Kyler, and Rei appeared. Her usually gentle eyes were now narrowed in anger. "And I believe you have a story to tell. Why did you push Takashi on that road? A car could have hit him! And how did you manage to drag him all the way here?"

"I..I," stammered Kyler, for once at a loss for words.

"He didn't drag me all the way here, Mom," piped up the brown pokemon from where he sat, huddled beside Voltheo. "He told me that this was a fun place, where we could play as brothers, so I came willingly. Kyler only carried me the rest of the way when I grew tired."

Voltheo glanced at Kyler, then back to Takashi. "And you believed him?"

"Yes," Takashi admitted. "I was so happy Kyler wanted to spend time with me. You know, with him not being nice to me since I was born and everything…"

"Come on, Kyler," Rei spun around and flicked her tail at Kyler. "Time to go."

"But, Mom," Kyler started, but his jaws closed when Rei's gaze hardened. "Now."

Muttering away inaudibly, Kyler followed. Voltheo picked Takashi up again, looked both ways, and then crossed the hard black surface. (**Remember to do this always!**)

The group walked in silence through the forest, back to their den. Takashi glimpsed Kyler glaring at him from time to time, and occasionally the black fox-like pokemon snarled at him.

Rei turned around and gave Kyler a warning hiss. "Do that one more time, and you'll become a furless pokemon."

Kyler said nothing, but he stopped turning to glare at his brother.

When all four pokemon reached the den at dawn, most of the pokemon had left. However, the pidgeotto perched up on the roof of the den gave Kyler a triumphant look.

Voltheo nodded at the flying-type pokemon. "Hato over there woke us up and told us you two were out of the den." The jolteon looked at his sons sternly, Kyler in particular. "You will have to be punished, Kyler," he went on. "Your mother and I will discuss it."

Slipping back into the den, Voltheo gave the umbreon one last glare before vanishing into the shadows. At once, Kyler rounded on Takashi. "It's your fault I'm in trouble," he hissed.

"My fault?" Takashi reeled back.

"Yes," the black pokemon glowered at him, before stalking off to another patch of tall grass in the Viridian Forest.

"Kyler," the eevee called after his brother. "Why do you hate me so much?"

Kyler paused, and then looked back, hatred in his eyes. "It's obvious Mom and Dad love you much more than me," he spat. "You stole all their attention. I'll never forgive you for that."

"Of course they still love you," Takashi said, bewildered. "You know that."

Ahead, Takashi was sure Kyler snorted. "Tell that to Mom and Dad," he snarled, then bounded along the patches of grass; the shadows swallowed him up and he was gone.

Hato shook his feathered head above Takashi. "That one will never learn," he commented.

Takashi stared at the rising sun, thoughts coming into his mind like a flock of bird pokemon.

Was Hato right?

**Hato's Japanese name: ****鳩**

**Btw, it means pidgeon XD **


	5. Chapter 4

**I haven't been updating lately, because of the test and all, but enjoy this!**

The sun rose high over the Viridian forest. Pokemon everywhere were either getting a lazy nap, or eating. It was a good day for Nopelts to catch new pokemon. Unfortunately.

Takashi watched his brother with wide eyes. Beside him, Hato made a noise that sounded like a snort.

"Good. Your parents made him train endlessly for days," he sneered, or at least the best that a bird could manage a sneer.

Kyler's red eyes were dark as he reared forward, barging another tree.

"Do you think he's gone too far with tackle and quick attack?" the eevee asked Hato.

Hato raised a wing dismissively. "After what happened last night, I doubt he'd go too far with anything."

The pidgeotto had become the family's friend, except for Kyler. After the night before, Takashi's parents had expressed their gratitude by allowing him to be their friend.

Despite the evil deed Kyler had done, Takashi still felt sorry for the umbreon, fur ruffled as he knocked the tree down.

"Pursuit," Hato informed Takashi.

"Mom!" Kyler called as he glimpsed Rei slipping out of the den. "Can I stop now?"

"No," Rei answered with all the cold of winter.

"Awwwwww!" Kyler grumbled as he proceeded to knock down another tree.

"Kyler'll complain even if Lord Mewtwo and Mewhime came down from the sky themselves and told him no," commented Hato.

Mewhime was a female mew, a princess and daughter of the deceased swordsmaster Burumi. She was also Lord Mewtwo's wife. Rumors stated that Mewhime's mother was a ditto.

"Kyler, at the rate you're training, the trees will all fall down before you even reach the next level," said Takashi. "Why don't you train somewhere else? With something that a least can't be taken down with attacks?"

"Trees don't give you experience points, magicarp!" Kyler sneered. "If you want to level up, go and fight real pokemon!" he turned and stalked off towards another part of the shadowy forest. Takashi noticed that Kyler had been stalking lately, but not walking.

"I want to go and train, Dad!" Takashi squealed excitedly as he spied Voltheo stepping out of the den.

"Why?" The electric-type seemed surprised.

"To gain levels and become powerful!" squeaked the little brown pokemon.

"I'll go with him," added Hato. The jolteon nodded at this and told Takashi, "Fine. You can go."

The pokemon treaded side by side into the forest. Sometimes, though, Hato would stop to peck at things.

"What're you doing?" asked Takashi.

"There's something weird on the ground," said Hato.

Takashi stepped forward to take a look. In front of him lay a round, ball-like object. Takashi pushed it softly with his front paws; it rolled away, but not before the eevee could feel its surprising hardness. It had looked like a apricorn but, now, Takashi knew it wasn't one.

Takashi froze. Apricorn. Ball. Apricornball. Surely it couldn't be…

A heavy stomp made him turn around. Bird and eevee looked up into the wild, enraged eyes of a machamp.


	6. Chapter 5

**By now I think you all figured out what apricornballs are. Theyre pokeballs :D**

**Reason: before technology was invented, pokeball makers used apricorns to make pokeballs. The pokemon realized this and started to call the balls apricornballs. (well in my story anyway)**

**Comments I forgot to write for the last chapter: yes im letting Mewtwo have a WIFE and not a MATE. Mewtwo's pretty humanoid so.. yea :3**

**Japan names for:**

**Mewhime: ****ミュウ姫**

**Hime means princess. Now you know why I didn't call her princess Mewhime.**

**Burumi:** **ブルーミ**

**Buru means blue. Oooooh. What does that tell you about Burumi?**

**And kyler called Takashi a magicarp since he thought the eevee was weak. Well he is, lvl 5 exactly. Which is kinda weak. According to pokedexes, magicarp is the weakest pokemon, but its not true. But then, wild pokemon don't know anyway since they have NO knowledge of their stats and the only move most magicarp in the wild know is splash or flail. :/**

**Onto the story:**

"What's a great brute like that doing here?" Hato sneered.

The bird moved protectively in front of Takashi, his wings tensed as if preparing to soar into the air and fight.

"I don't need to fight you," the machamp retorted calmly. Takashi thought how strange that was, considering the situation.

"I'll have to ask my Nopelt if he wants to fight a wild pokemon," he went on. "You might not be worth it if he has to carry me all the way to the pokemon center."

"Pokemon center?" wondered Takashi.

Both pokemon ignored him.

"What do you mean we're not worth it?" Hato demanded.

The machamp ignored him. He turned around a let a loud roar escape him. The trees seemed to shake with the loudness of it.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Hato was just beginning to relax when bushes parted and a young female Nopelt stepped out.

"Yes, Sky?" she seemed to be bewildered. "Why'd you call me?"

The humongous fighting pokemon pointed at the two pokemon hiding in the tall grass. Hato raised his wings and head defensively.

The Nopelt's eyes lit up. "That's a rare pokemon!" she exclaimed, pointing at Takashi. "We have to capture it!"

The Nopelt pulled out a red apricornball, much like the green one Hato and Takashi had seen just now. Both wild pokemon stared at each other in alarm.

"That's my order to fight." There was all the cold of winter in Sky's voice. "So prepare yourselves."

"Sky! Attack! Give'em all you've got!" the young Nopelt yowled excitedly.

Without a warning, Sky swung forward; Hato instantly defended Takashi. The bird formed gusts of wind and thrust them at Sky. However, the well-built pokemon simply dodged the blow and landed a punch on Hato. The flying-type gave a shriek but instantly flew at his attacker, feathers fluffed up as he tried to peck at him.

The eevee crouched down with his fur bristling. Takashi knew he was frightened, yet he knew he couldn't leave Hato alone to defend himself. But, he didn't know any attack moves…

Stop it! You _can_ fight! He told himself firmly.

With a sudden surge of energy, Takashi leaped forward and bit the machamp furiously. Hato backed stopped trying to attack Sky and looked up, horror in his beady eyes.

"Takashi!" the pidgeotto called. "Stop! You're not ready!"

"I'm ready if I say I am," growled Takashi, his voice muffled by his victim's skin. He bit down harder, until he could taste the metallic flavor of the blue pokemon's blood.

Sky gave a roar and shook his body, trying to dislodge Takashi. But the eevee held on, starting to pound Sky's humongous body.

The Nopelt dashed over at once. "Sky! You're bleeding!" she exclaimed. "Come on. Leave those two.. little…" she glanced at the two wild pokemon. "Devils. You need to get to a pokemon centre quick. Come on. Get in your ball."

She took out a blue ball and instantly the machamp disappeared in a blinding flash of light. It had appeared to be coming from the ball.

As the Nopelt strode away, Hato began to groom his ruffled feathers; they were smeared with Sky's blood. "You fought well," he murmured.

All of a sudden, he stopped. "Takashi. Your pelt's glowing," he told the eevee, looking with wonder at him.

"I-I feel new strength," stuttered Takashi. He looked around at his brown pelt; it was indeed glowing.

"What's happening, Hato?" he yowled in panic as a cocoon of light enveloped him. He couldn't see; he only knew that some parts of him were changing. And in the transformation, he felt a new feeling flow into his limbs. Was he changing type?

Part of him still wanted to be an eevee, to never have to experience this. But he knew that this was unavoidable.

_Come, Takashi,_ a voice seemed to whisper. _This is your power: embrace it._

The blinding light finally faded. Around him, Takashi could still see the forest, everything was normal, apart from Hato staring at him like a hawk. But then, he _was _a bird.

"What's up, Hato?" asked Takashi. Then he wrinkled his nose. Even his voice sounded different: deeper and less of a squeak than when he had been an eevee.

"Takashi," whispered Hato. "You evolved."

Takashi stared at him "Evolved? You mean, turned from one pokemon into another?"

"Yes. Look."

Hato guided the newly evolved pokemon to a shining pool of water. In it, Takashi could see not his brown, fluffy face; but the reflection of a pink pokemon, whose eyes sparkled like the sun and betrayed deep wisdom.

Takashi was silent for many moments. Then, he lifted his head. "An espeon. I'm an espeon, aren't I?"

Hato brushed against him. "Yes. You are."

"So I'm a psychic-type now?" Takashi frowned. "Is that why I feel like I know everything in this forest? And why I feel…different?"

"Not just the forest, Takashi." Hato twitched his blood-smeared wings. "The whole kanto region. And probably even the whole universe."

Wow, Takashi thought as he stared at his reflection again. If a weak pokemon like me can have such great knowledge, then everything's possible.


	7. Chapter 6

**Sorry Ive taken so long to update. I have school projects, homework, and exams all day! Argh!**

**Anyway hope you like this chapter.**

"Cool! Let's see what you can do now!" Hato told Takashi. "Can you teleport? Move things with your mind? Oh, let me guess. Levitate in the air-"

"Patience, Hato," Takashi murmured with a flick of his long tail. "I'll find out with time."

"Huh. Forgot that you just evolved. And look, you have such a long tail now. Longer than most espeons."

"Takashi!"

Ferns parted and Takashi's mother sprang out of them, fur bushed out. "Have you seen Kyler?" she demanded, looking around wildly. "He's been gone for such a long time. You too. Do you know how worried you've made me?"

He vaporeon curled her tail over Takashi's body protectively. "I'm so glad I found you! You evolved! You still have your familiar scent, though. I'm so proud of you!" a tumble of words poured out of her mouth like a waterfall. Takashi shied away in embarrassment.

"Mum, I can take care of myself-"

"Oh, you're so smart now, eh? Treat your poor mother like trash, is it so?" Rei's eyes glimmered with amusement, but they were still shadowed by worry for Kyler.

"I'll never treat you like trash! I just feel a bit…I don't know…uncomfortable when you do that! And Kyler is bound to be around here somewhere. He's gone off before for a long time without telling you before," Takashi reminded his mother. As revenge for doting on me, probably, Takashi thought grimly.

Rei's ruffled fur began to smoothen. "Oh yes, right. I guess I just let panic overtake me. Your father is also looking for Kyler, over there." She pointed with her tail.

"We'll help you look for him," Hato offered.

Rei shot the flying-type a grateful glance before springing into another part of the forest. "Thank you! You're such a kind friend, Hato. Neither I nor Voltheo have checked this area yet. Please help us look around here!" she called over her shoulder.

Hato pointed with his wing over to Takashi's left. "You take that side, and I'll take this part."

Nodding, Takashi bounded lightly over to a meld of green trees. Discarded apricornballs still lay around, evenly split into two. Takashi nosed around the bushes before giving up and yowled to the sky, as loud as he could.

"Kyler! Can you hear me? Come home! Please!"

He waited a little while before he decided to shout again, louder. "Kyler! Please come back! Wherever you are! Can you hear me?"

He paused. "Our parents need you!" Takashi's voice shook as he added, "_I _need you!"

Whatever Kyler had done, he was still his brother. The umbreon might not feel close to him, but Takashi still loved him. He would not rest until he had found the dark-type.

"Let's see, I haven't tried here yet." He padded over to a bunch of ferns and started sniffing them.

No scent whatsoever of Kyler.

Going over to patch of grass, Takashi tried again. "Kyler! Where are you?"

A pikachu, nestled comfortably among the fronds, raised his head sleepily and in annoyance. "Do you mind? Can you see some of us are trying to sleep?"

"I'm sorry!" Takashi lowered his head. "My brother is missing. I'm just really worried about him, that's all."

"Well, if he's missing, yowling won't do much." The mouse pokemon flicked one ear. "You can probably do more if you went back to where he was last seen and tracked his scent from there."

"Okay, thanks." Takashi flicked one ear in acknowledgement and sped over to the last place he had seen him, near his den.

Speeding through the woods, he hardly had time to stop before he collided head-first with Hato.

Hato sprang back, rubbing his head with one finely-groomed wing. "Takashi! Have you gone mad? You have to watch where you run now. You've really gotten faster."

"Oh, I met this pikachu and-" Takashi broke off. He sniffed the air, detecting the normal forest scents. A few bug pokemon-running from a Nopelt from the scent of them-a few pikachu, Rei, Hato, himself and…

Takashi sniffed harder. There was something else. His heart gave a leap of joy as he identified the scent-Kyler!

"I smell something!" Takashi told Hato. "Kyler's been this way."

Hato nodded. "Go on. I'll follow you."

Takashi twitched his ears in response. Sniffing the ferns as he went by, he began to track Kyler's route. The trail grew fainter and fainter, until it stopped entirely at a building. Takashi exchanged glances with Hato, bewildered.

"Maybe he's-"

Hato was cut off by a sudden piercing shriek beyond the building. Takashi instantly sprang up and charged towards the place where the sound had come from. "Mum!"

Icy paws clutched at Takashi's heart. He charged blindly through the forest, expecting the worst.

Suddenly, Hato tapped his shoulder. "Look," he told Takashi. "Lots of Nopelts. And the smell of fresh blood."

Hato's eyes were wide with horror. "And in the middle of them…Rei."

Takashi's owned eyes widened. "No! She can't be dead!" He turned and ran over to the commotion. "I won't believe it!"

Hato flew behind Takashi, wings flapping frantically. But Takashi hardly heard. All he saw now was the single, blood-covered body of his mother.

"Mum!" Takashi flung himself on the water pokemon's body, covering her with frantic licks. "What happened? Say something! Tell me you aren't dying!"

Most of the normal fire in Rei's eyes had gone, and in its place was a horrible, glazed, emptiness. "Takashi, don't be a silly furball," she managed to whisper. "I'm going to join the Starpelts and you know it. I'll watch over you forever. Just tell your father something which I've haven't the chance to say yet."

Takashi leaned closer. "What?" He would give his life to fulfill Rei's final wish.

Rei's eyes shone with pride momentarily. "Tell your father…that you have a new sibling. He went out earlier to search for Kyler and hasn't seen the egg yet." With a soft sigh, Rei's body jerked. And then, she was still.

Takashi buried his muzzle into his dead mother's fur. "Mum," he choked out.

Hato landed next to him. "Thank you," he whispered, smoothing Rei's blood-soaked fur with his wings and beak. "You were a good friend to me."

Now that the initial shock was over, it was as though Takashi's ears had been unplugged. Now, he heard everything the Nopelts were saying.

"I didn't mean to. I saw that pokemon only when it was too late!" sobbed a bald, chubby Nopelt.

"If only the pokemon center was open today," sighed a female Nopelt sadly. "They would have saved that vaporeon."

Another Nopelt laid his paw on the bald Nopelt's shoulder. "What's done is done," he told the Nopelt quietly. "Don't blame yourself too much."

Takashi wanted to spring up and claw that Nopelt's eyes off. _It's okay for you. Rei wasn't _your _mother! _But he knew that deep down, the Nopelt was right. And he too, sympathized with the bald Nopelt. It was an accident. Rei's death wasn't meant to be.

"The Nofeathers seem sad too," observed Hato quietly. "Your word for them is Nopelts," he added hastily.

Takashi stared, numb, down at Rei's lifeless body. "Come on. We need to bury her in the forest, where she belongs," he told Hato.

Takashi gripped Rei by her collar and Hato helped to support her tail. Together, they made it to the forest, eyes dull and tails drooping.

**Yes, yes, ik, there aren't any roads in viridian city. This is just a fanfic though. It doesn't have to be right :D**

**And I also wonder sometimes why there're roads in the show but there aren't in the game. :/**


	8. Chapter 7

**Ok I confirm Voltheo is spelt Voltheo, not Volttheo. And now ill add that to the errors on my profile page.**

**Absolmaster2012: I'll give you a small spoiler. Kyler isn't going to appear for a looongg time. Only the last few chapters of this fanfic. (and this is going to be pretty long, im afraid) how kyler reacts to what has happened will be left for you to find out!**

**On with the story!**

The two pokemon trudged wearily through the forest, espeon in front and pidgeotto behind.

"Takashi!" came a voice.

Takashi turned to find the surprised face of his father.

"You evolved?" he asked. "I detected you by your scent."

"Yes, Dad," answered Takashi.

"And, Voltheo, I hate to break I to you, but," Hato murmured. "Rei's dead."

Voltheo's eyes widened. "No! I don't believe it!"

"This is her body, Dad," Takashi told him, flicking one ear at the dead body of his mother. All his grief was contained in this one simple gesture.

Voltheo's short stub of a tail drooped. "Give me her body, please. I need to bury Rei where she belongs."

Takashi managed to unload his burden on his father's shoulders, and watched him walk away, making no effort to run. Even his fur now lay flat, somehow managing to look like drooping.

Espeon and pidgeotto were silent for a while. After a while, Takashi spoke up. "Hato?"

"Hmmm?" Hato had his eyes on his feet, his own way of grieving.

"You know when Mum was about to die?"

The bird finally looked up. "Don't remind me. It was a horrible, gory, death."

"I know. I felt so helpless. I couldn't help her. I don't want to feel that way."

Takashi paused. "I want to become a berrier."

Hato gave him a sideways glance. "You sure? You want to learn about berries?"

The pink pokemon nodded.

Hato sighed. "I can ask my grandclaw. I heard he was an experienced berrier. He wanted to be one from the day he hatched."

"Hatched…Oh! Right! The pokemon egg!" Takashi exclaimed. He jumped up and followed his father's tracks, tracking him by scent. "Dad!" he yowled when Voltheo's yellow body came into sight. He was sitting quietly next to a patch of uneven soil, near Takashi's home.

Mum's burial site, Takashi guessed.

"Dad, Mum told me to tell you that she has another egg. I have a sibling," he told the jolteon.

As predicted, the electric pokemon's eyes showed a faint spark of happiness. "Oh, really? Thank you. Could you take the egg for a walk?"

"Sure, but I have to find it first." Takashi trotted into the den. He sniffed around for any new scent since he had left. Almost at once, he caught a eevee-like scent, also smelling like an unhatched pokemon. He approached where he thought the smell was coming from.

He spotted a brown egg, with a white zigzag across it. Using his tail as a makeshift egg carrier, he walked outside.

"Boy, I need to get used to this," he told his father.

Voltheo nodded. "Me, too. Now, go find Hato."

Obeying his father, Takashi sprinted away, following his own scent trail. As he strolled along, he thought about how beautiful the forest looked, what with all the lush greenery. Then, he thought of the pokemon who had brought him to Viridian Forest.

"Thank you, Mum," he murmured.

For a moment, Takashi could feel a pokemon twining itself around him, feeling like a gush of water. A voice seemed to say, _I will always watch over you, my son._

In his daze, Takashi almost missed a cry. When it came again, he froze.

"Help me!"

What was that? Takashi thought. It sounded like a pokemon.

The cry came again, and the espeon decided to run towards it. What he saw amazed him. An injured spearow, about to fall off a tall tree. One of her wings was broken.

"Let go! I'll catch you!" he yowled.

"No way! It's too high and I can't fly!" the spearow tightened her grip on the branch she was clinging on to with her uninjured wing.

"Then I'm coming up to get you!" Takashi put the egg down gently on the grass. Bunching his muscles, he managed to leap up into the tree. He wasn't used to this. As he looked down, he felt dizzy.

"Don't look down!" called the spearow.

"Understood." Takashi gritted his teeth, using his tail as a grip. He continued to climb, slipping occasionally, and eventually drew near enough to reach the bird. She let out a gasp as Takashi grabbed some of her neck feathers in his mouth.

"Sorry," Takashi mumbled through a mouthful of feathers.

He proceeded to climb back down with caution. Eventually, with some slips and some loss of grips, Takashi made it in one piece. He set down the spearow, and both pokemon lay there, gasping for breath, just looking at each other.

Finally, the rescued spearow spoke up. "So, what brings you here?"

Takashi pointed to the egg. "I was here walking my sibling. What about you?"

"I was escaping from my Nopelt. Caught me and then put me in some box. What nerve! Anyway, when she was opening the box, I flew out. Then, I flew here. Along the way some pokemon attacked me and gave me a broken wing." Her voice grew bitter.

Takashi decided to change the subject. "So, what's your name?"

The spearow fluffed out her chest feathers. "Name's Perla. Yours?"

Typical spearow pride, Takashi thought. Out loud, he said, "Takashi."

"Nice to meet you."

"Takashi? Where are you? I've been searching for at least-" Hato's voice, slightly annoyed, stopped when he saw Perla next to Takashi.

"Who's this?" Hato demanded of the espeon.

Takashi flicked his tail. "This is Perla. She's injured." With a mildly challenging tone, he asked, "So, do you think I should become a berrier now?"

Hato detected it. "I never told you _not _to be one."

Takashi sighed. "Fine. You win. And now, do you know where to find any berries that will help this spearow?"

Hato examined Perla closely. "It's a broken wing, Takashi. Only time will heal it. We can try some Oran berries though. Looks like Perla's low on health."

"And _where _do we get these Oran berries?"

"Nopelts usually grow them," Hato told Takashi. "And Oran berries aren't found in the Viridian Forest."

"Oran berries, you say?" Perla piped up. "My Nopelt gave me one to hold. Didn't know what it was for."

She lifted her uninjured wing, and Takashi could see a bright blue berry tied to her with a piece of string. She managed to untie it, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Hato gave Takashi a glance. "She has a Nopelt?"

"She tells me she was running away from them."

"Not running away-escaping!" Perla snapped. "Running away is for cowards. Escaping is for brave birds. Know the difference!"

Hato whispered, "That figures. That's some attitude. Probably couldn't stand being a Nopelt's monster."

Takashi sighed. "Anyway, Perla, we'd better bring you back to our den."

**End of chapter! Cut!**

**Oh yes, and when Hato said 'grandclaw' he meant his grandfather. It's a term I made up for bird pokemon. For Takashi it would be 'grandpaw' even though he never met him.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the late update…wanna cookie?**

**Absolmaster2012-idk how to respond to that. :P but thanks about the grandclaw thing!**

**And these few chapers ive been thinking like SOMETHINGS MISSING.**

**Then I realized-the pokemon species names weren't capitalized!* ****smacks myself***** anywaaayyyy I'll go add that to my errors. And capitalize them from now on.**

The next morning, Takashi awoke to loud squawks outside his warm den.

"I _told _you, gramps. Takashi wants to be a berrier and he needs your help."

"Well, that doesn't justify dragging my old feathers here!"

Takashi assumed it was Hato's grandclaw.

"I _didn't _drag you here. You decided to come!"

"Well, _I _don't remember saying that, young'un."

"That's 'cause you're old."

"Language!" scolded Hato's grandclaw.

"Language yourself," grumbled Hato.

"Mind your manners, young'un!"

"Quit squawking so loud, will you? Takashi, Voltheo and Perla are still asleep!"

"Too late," Takashi called out, pushing his way outside. "You guys woke me up."

Taking a good look at Hato's grandclaw, he realized with a jolt how old the pokemon was.

Hato's grandclaw's feathers were dull, as if he had stopped caring for them. There were visible wrinkles underneath his eyes too. At some places, feathers were missing.

Hato sighed impatiently. "See? You've just managed to wake a sleeping Espeon. You're lucky he's friendly! Now, Perla and Volt-"

The old Pidgeot cut him off. "Who in tarnation is this Perla? Is she your mate-to-be or something?"

"Quit saying that every female bird pokemon I meet is my mate-to-be," muttered Hato. He sounded like a mutinous Fighting-type being reprimanded for not training hard enough.

Hato's grandclaw ignored him and turned to Takashi. "You're the berrier wannabe, aren't you? I'm here to teach you what I know."

"So you finally admit you actually wanted to come here?" came Hato's drawl. "Well then, I'll just leave you here with Takashi so you two can get to know more about each other. Goodbye, gramps."

Turning around, he muttered, "Grumps!" before flying away.

Hato's grandclaw shook his head. "Young'uns nowadays."

He took a closer look at Takashi. "T'name's Hirasuru. So you're one of Hato's friends, eh?"

Takashi shifted. "Yes."

"Well, I must as well teach you something useful then. We're wasting time."

Takashi gave a little bounce. "So, what's the plan, Hato's grandclaw?"

"Call me by my name, if you please," the old Pidgeot waved his right wing.

"Sorry, Hirasuru. So, now what?"

"First, we must introduce you to the Starpelts and Starfeathers as a new berrier. Berriers have to be acknowledged by them first, you know. If they don't recognize you as one, you won't have the berrier status."

"Kay. How do we do that?"

"Well, you'll have to go and sleep to meet the Starpelts in your dreams."

Takashi flicked his tail. "How do I know I'll dream of them? Before you woke me up I had a dreamless sleep."

"The Starpelts and Starfeathers will surely come to you when an experienced berrier's with you. And if you actually want to be one," Hirasuru told him.

Takashi yawned and stretched. "Well, I'm still kinda tired anyway, so no problem there."

~~~~~~~~~~~~**(heh im trying this pagebreak thing)**

Takashi woke up.

Wherever he was, it sure didn't feel like his nest. Or looked like his den.

All around him were green pastures. A thick forest stared from a distance. And the sky was dotted with stars, brighter than any he had ever seen.

However, what amazed him the most was the pokemon around him.

Some of them seemed normal, without anything unusual.

The rest seemed to fade into the background. And were glittering. Takashi strained his neck. What was the glittering stuff?

A sudden slap on his back startled him. Takashi jumped around with fur on end only to find the one pokemon he had missed so dearly.

"Mum?" he croaked. Up close, he could see that she, too, had a glittering pelt-of stars.

Rei's eyes glittered. "Welcome, my son. And how is your little sister doing?"

"Err…what?"

"The egg," Rei replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh! How do you know she's a girl?" Takashi was surprised.

"I'm a spirit now. I can see things you can't. And about that, I have come here to show you something, which, as a berrier, you need."

With that, she bounded away with Takashi tailing her. Along the way, they passed two pokemon, one glittering and the other like any other pokemon in the forest.

"Now, Yuko, if you see a pokemon drop a berry, what should you do?" the starry Xatu asked patiently.

"Eat it, of course!" the Purrloin answered eagerly.

"That is incorrect," answered the Xatu patiently. "You should return it to that pokemon immediately!"

"Why can't I get any of these questions right?" wailed Yuko.

Takashi pointed to the pair. "What's going on?"

Rei sat down. "Some pokemon, especially Dark-types like Yuko, are often misguided. We seek them out in their dreams and try to teach them right and justice. But not every one of them listens and goes down the shadowy path of a Shadowpelt or Shadowfeather."

"Oh no," whispered Takashi quietly.

"Well, I need to show the special items to you now. Let's get going." Rei walked more slowly now. As Takashi left the Xatu and Purrloin behind, he heard another conversation between the two.

"Yuko, if you see an injured pokemon with a berry, should you try to help it, or should you claw it and take its berry?"

"Answer number two. Duh!"

"That is also incorrect. It was number one." The Xatu then impersonated Yuko's voice. "Duh!"

"Awww!" grumbled the Purrloin yet again as her voice faded. Looking back in front, Takashi realized that Rei had come to a halt and he had almost crashed into her.

Rei moved so that he could see. "Ta-da! These are the berry pots. They allow you to plant berries. Here in the place of the Starpelts and Starfeathers, we can grow a special type of berry-the Starberries! It completely heals the pokemon who eats it."

So the pokemon with glittering pelts and feathers were Starpelts and Starfeathers, Takashi thought. He should have guessed.

"So how do I grow them?" Takashi asked aloud.

Rei put her tail round one of the pots. "You see that Squirtbottle over there? Use it to water the berries once you've planted them in the pots." She looked a tad guilty. "Well, that was the first and will be the last time we'll let a theft go. Thanks to a Nopelt's Murkrow, we have a way to cultivate berries."

Before Takashi could react, Rei stood up. "You'd better go now. In the waking world, you've been sleeping long enough."

The light around him dimmed, and dimmed to shade of black so dark that Takashi began to get a little creeped out.

Then, he heard voices. Squabbling ones, as always.

"Quit squawking! Takashi's sleeping!"

"How much do young'uns need to sleep anyway? That wannabe's been asleep for the longest time. Once he starts learning, he'd better not be this lazy!"

"If you remember, _you _woke him up in the first place."

"Ah, yes, but that doesn't justify laziness."

Takashi opened one eye. "And you woke me up once again." He sat up. "Where's Dad?"

"Took the egg for a walk," Hato told him.

"She," murmured Takashi. "It's a girl. Mum told me that."

"Oh, wow." Hato seemed surprised. "What did she say? And how was it like in that place? I wanted grumps here to tell me, but he kept fussing about your 'sleeping habits'." Hato made air quotes with his claws awkwardly.

"Manners!" scolded Hirasuru.

"Whatever," Hato grumbled.

"Anyway, Takashi. Once you're done cleaning your fur or whatever it is that Espeons do, meet me outside." The Pidgeot hopped out of the den.

"I'll be happy to get some time to myself," Hato muttered to Takashi, before pushing through the brambles after his grandclaw.

Takashi sat down for a while, reflecting on what had just happened in his dream. He let the scenes play over in his mind, again and again.

It didn't matter if he was late. He could just use 'cleaning fur' as an excuse.

It didn't take long for the Pidgeot to realize how late he was. "Hey, wannabe! Get your pelt here before I skin you alive!"

With a half-amused sigh, he ran to join him.

**-Ends here-**

**Sorry about the long update, but im really busy. Can I hook you guys up, like say, twice a month? Sorry..**

**Hirasuru's Japanese name: ****ひらする**


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